Bureaucratic Detail
by nozomi.no.uta
Summary: Random scenes from the lives of people connected to the Hollow Bastion Security Bureau. Inspired from various TV shows about crime-fighting agencies.
1. Welcome

**Author's Comments: **This new story is proof of my self-inflicted pet peeve: coming up with new ideas for stories despite the dozens of unfinished ones sitting around in my computer. I got the idea of doing this series from watching a random episode of _Criminal Minds: Behavioral Analysis Unit_ one night. I just thought to myself, "_Kingdom Hearts _characters in a government security-type of atmosphere...huh" and this little idea formed. Hope you enjoy reading!

** Disclaimer: **I do not own _Kingdom Hearts._

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They were everywhere. _Everywhere._ His skin tingled and crawled whenever he heard their voices. The air buzzed with their optimistic enthusiasm and boundless (for now) energy. He could practically smell their high hopes and naïveté…and it almost made him gag.

The _recruits_ were here. The _rookies. _The _new guys._

Cloud stifled a sigh as he jammed his finger on the downward-pointing triangle for the elevator. He _hated_ this time of year. In the past, he'd been able to mentally prepare for incoming new agents because of the occasional combat training clinics he'd been asked (_forced_) to help with, but since he was out of town on assignment this year, the sudden surge of youthfulness in the headquarters building upon returning was a bit…overwhelming.

"I hate name tags."

Especially since his younger cousin—whom he had _no idea_ was considering joining the force—was one of them.

"But how else is anyone gonna learn what your name is?"

And especially since his younger cousin happened to be friends with the division assistant director's _younger brother_ who was also the most simple-minded, almost childlike recruit in this year's group.

"They can just _ask. _Common sense."

"But won't that get annoying?"

"Not as annoying as possibly forgetting to put on or take off the stupid name tag in the first place."

Cloud eyed the panel of illuminated floor numbers above the elevator doors. What was taking this elevator so long?

"Hey Clou—I mean, Agent Strife, how long are we supposed to wear these things?"

_Finally_ the doors opened. "At least for the next week," he murmured, stepping into the empty elevator with the two spiky-haired recruits close behind.

"Dammit. I just know I'm gonna forget to take it off today…"

"Then write yourself a memo. Stick a post-it on your forehead. 'Don't forget to take off name tag.' See if that works."

"The only thing that'll do is make me look like an idiot."

"Ooh! Better yet, don't take the name tag off. You'll get that waitress' attention easily."

"Wha—? Sora!"

"When she points out that you're still wearing it, you can be like, 'Hey, now we both know each others' name' and then she'll ask you why you're wearing a name tag and then you can talk about your job as a newly-instated government agent—"

Thank _God_ Cloud's office was in a completely different building.

"That's not exactly something I should brag about to everyone."

"I'm not telling you to brag to everyone. I'm just saying it'll impress that waitress."

The elevator gently stopped, opening its doors to a large room littered with desks and chairs and ringing phones and papers and filing cabinets and whatnot. People bustled around busily, weaving among work stations and taking phone calls and discussing case elements. Typical.

He smirked inwardly as he stepped out of the elevator. Both newbies didn't—_couldn't—_say a word as they followed him and let their blue eyes roam curiously. He began counting down the seconds until one of them tripped over his own feet—

"Oof."

Cloud snorted in the back of his throat. Well that was fast.

"You're such a klutz, Sora."

"Shut up."

He stopped in front of a pair of desks situated across each other and equipped with computer systems, pointing to each while naming the desk assignments. They stepped behind their desks and sat down—Sora with excited comments spewing from his mouth and Roxas with silent apprehension. "Protocol is strictly enforced," Cloud told them monotonously. "Violation of protocol will result in probation."

"He means no Facebook-stalking that waitress, Roxas."

"It's not like I know her full name, Sora."

"You don't need to know her full name anymore now that you're a _special agent—"_

"Welcome to the force," Cloud muttered under his breath as they continued bantering back and forth, turning to leave for the elevator. He was _done_ with his responsibility as their senior to get them settled in. The absence of Sora's chatter and Roxas' muttering buzzed in his ears after he entered the elevator.

He wondered when his next relocation assignment would be...

When the doors opened to the lobby, he strode out and spotted the brunet scar-faced assistant director heading for the building exit. They greeted each other with a silent nod, falling into step with each other through the automatic doors and through the courtyard to the main administrative building. The breeze blew away the tension that had coiled in his shoulders and arms from the presence of the recruits. Cloud took in a deep breath and exhaled, releasing his mild stress.

"I'm going to give Sora his first assignment as a special agent," the assistant director informed him as the doors slid open.

Cloud glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. Sora's first assignment? Already? He just got here.

They both stopped in the middle of the marble lobby. Leon met his gaze out of the corner of his own eye...and smirked. "Want anything from that coffee shop down the street?"

For the second time that morning Cloud snorted. "I was going to tell Roxas to get me an expresso, but if Sora's going to get the coffee, then Roxas should get lunch from Teef."

Leon nodded approvingly and pressed the elevator button. "Tell him I want a pastrami reuben."

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**Author's Afterthought: **I know. It's short. I'm thinking of making this a multi-chapter fanfic of random moments of _Kingdom Hearts_ characters in this kind of setting or maybe even just centering it around Roxas and Sora. What do you think? Please leave a review! Thank you for reading!


	2. Confession

**Author's Comments: **Please enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Kingdom Hearts._

* * *

He pushed his spectacles a bit further up the bridge of his nose before flipping the page of the twenty-six-page file in his pale hand. The paper's crinkling tore through the silence of the small apartment. His eyes skimmed the file page, pausing and rereading in a few areas…before he flipped to the next page.

As his lips sank into a frown, he heard the front door being pushed open with a grunt and an exhausted sigh. "Hey Zex," his roommate called, slamming the door.

"Roxas," Zexion acknowledged without looking up.

Roxas' heavy footsteps trudged into the kitchen so he could grab a drink from the fridge before joining Zexion and collapsing into the sofa. "How can you still work?" he asked incredulously above the crack of his soda can.

"I didn't have to chase leads all day," Zexion replied simply.

A pause for a long swig. "Do you ever get out of the office?"

"When the occasion calls for it."

"And how often is that?"

He flicked his eyes up to Roxas and quirked an eyebrow. "Care to guess?"

"Uh, well," his roommate stammered as he glanced down at his soda can sheepishly, "as long as you're not always stuck inside…"

"Rest assured that I do get fresh air and sunshine while on the clock, Roxas." Zexion returned his attention to his file and flipped the last page.

"How long have you been with the force?"

With a sigh he shut the file and tossed it to the ground with the others he found useless. "Six years."

"Do you like working there?"

As he reached for another file from the coffee table, he arched an eyebrow at Roxas again. "Are you having second-thoughts about joining the Hollow Bastion Security Bureau?"

"No!" he exclaimed a tad too quickly. "No no no no no. No."

He leaned back in his seat, staring expectantly at him and crossing his arms while the file sat on his lap.

"_No._"

He kept staring.

"I'm not."

And staring.

"Really."

He could have gone at it all night until—

"Okay, maybe a little."

"A little," he repeated, doing nothing to hide his smug satisfaction at hearing Roxas concede so quickly.

"I don't know…" Roxas sighed, his fingertips tapping the side of his soda can. "It's not what I expected."

"And what was it you expected?"

He shrugged. "I don't know."

Zexion studied his roommate's slightly furrowed brow and his pensive frown. He could almost hear the storm of unorganized thoughts and feelings swirling in his brain. "What interested you in joining the bureau?" he asked.

"Cloud," he replied promptly.

The answer somewhat surprised him. "Special Agent Strife?"

Roxas took another sip of his soda and a few moments to sit in silence before asking, "Remember the shootings at Hollow Bastion University a few years ago?"

He nodded. Those shootings still haunted many, including some agents he worked with. That case made headlines everywhere at the time and was still labeled a high-priority issue. It was the very case for which Zexion was diving into file after file for leads in finding the perpetrator.

"Me and Sora were studying for a midterm on one of the campus courtyards," Roxas began, his eyes staring past the soda can in his hands. "Suddenly a whole bunch of cars labeled with the HBSB emblem appeared and parked nearby and then all these agents with bulletproof vests and guns came spilling out and started overtaking the grounds. One of them told us to get the hell out of there because there was someone with a gun on campus.

"As we were racing out of there, I spotted Cloud. He looked like he was giving orders to a group right when gunshots fired in a nearby building. He immediately dismissed his group and ran into that building."

Zexion remembered. He wasn't at HBU when the gunshots went off but he heard them loud and clear in the communications center at headquarters. He was only allowed to imagine the chaos of the students fleeing and the agents sprinting to the building.

"Almost an hour later he emerged carrying a little girl. She wasn't hurt, but she looked like she was in shock. Then this woman—probably the girl's mom—she ran towards them and he gave her the girl. That woman kept spewing thank you's and hugged the girl tightly."

He watched the blonde's blue eyes darting left and right as he searched for the words to fit his thoughts. "I don't know," Roxas finally sighed. "I'd never seen Cloud like that before. He…was a leader and a protector. He ran into that building without hesitating at all and came out with that girl in his arms…" He raked a hand through his spikes with a huff. "I can't explain how that made me want to join HBSB. It just…did."

Zexion allowed a corner of his mouth to lift into a half-smile. So it was _admiration_ that spurred Roxas. What would Cloud think if he learned this…?

"What?" Roxas asked after glancing at Zexion, arching an eyebrow.

"Interesting," Zexion answered simply, his smirk widening.

He studied him for a few moments, his eyes narrowing in suspicion…then widening in alarm. "You'd _better_ not tell Cloud."

Oh ho ho. Roxas was asking for it. "Why shouldn't I?" Zexion questioned mildly.

"Just don't."

"Don't you think he'd like to know why you joined the HBSB?"

"Don't. Say. Anything."

Zexion shrugged, breaking his smug gaze to look over a page in the file on his lap without a word.

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**Author's Afterthought: **Please leave a review! Thank you for reading!


	3. Hi

**Author's Comments: **I made a goal for myself that I'd update all my unfinished stories by the end of the month. Here's another update completed. Please enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Kingdom Hearts._

* * *

The plate clinked against the counter surface as she set the slice of apple pie in front of her customer. "Here you go," she said with a smile. "I got you the biggest piece in the pan."

Her weary-eyed customer smiled back gratefully. "You're a doll, Namine."

Namine slipped the check next to the plate—she'd docked off the price for his two cups of coffee—and headed back to the pick-up window for her next order. On her way, she checked on the dessert cabinet to make sure the sea-salt ice cream supply wasn't depleted. She knew that was his favorite whenever he came. She wanted to be sure she'd have some for him, just in case he dropped in.

She was really hoping he'd come tonight.

The tinkling of the bell above the door caught her attention. She turned…and her heart soared. He came!

"Hey Namine," a silver-haired man waved as he led the way to one of the booths. Behind him trailed another man with spiky brown hair and _him—_the blond with bluer-than-blue eyes that mesmerized her_._

"Hi Riku," she said with a smile once she tore her eyes away from _him._ "I'll be right there."

She quickly strode to the end of the counter and grabbed three menus while straining her ears to hear what the three men were saying…which wasn't as difficult as she thought it'd be.

"What?" the brunet exclaimed to Riku. "You two know each other?"

"We've talked before."

She took her time getting to their booth, making sure to smooth down her apron and touch up her messy bun.

"Introduce Roxas!"

Roxas? Was that the blond's name?

"He can introduce himself."

"No he can't!"

"Yes I can!"

Namine nearly melted mid-step at hearing his voice. She'd never heard a more beautiful sound before!

"Then why haven't you done it yet? Huh? Huh?"

"I'm…waiting for the right time."

She arrived, smiling brightly for the three of them as she set down a menu before each guy. "Anything to drink?" she asked over her rapidly beating heart.

"Water all around and coffee for me," Riku replied instantly.

"Cream?"

"Please."

"I'm Sora."

Namine glanced at the beaming brunet and giggled. What a random outburst. "Hi, Sora. I'm Namine."

"Hi." Sora seemed to snicker triumphantly and nudge the blond sitting next to him before asking, "Can I get coffee, too?"

"Don't give it to him," Riku said without looking up from his menu.

Sora balked at Riku. "You can't tell her not to get me coffee!"

"You're gonna be up all night if you drink coffee, Sora."

"So? I've got the day off tomorrow." He turned back to Namine. "Don't listen to him. I want coffee."

She laughed again. "Alright." Her heart sped up even more as she looked at the blond. "What about you?"

His eyes met hers and she felt her heart skip a beat and her breath catch in her throat silently. "Me?" his voice seemed to echo in her ears. "Um…Water?"

"I ordered water already, Rox."

He tore his gaze from her to gape at Riku. "You did?"

"Yeah." Riku arched an eyebrow. "Weren't you paying attention?"

Sora's arm slithered around the blond's shoulders. "He was _distracted_," he grinned like a Cheshire cat, "right, Roxas?"

The blond—Roxas, she supposed his name was—shrugged away Sora's arm and grumbled something under his breath. "Uh, I'm fine with just water," he told her, smiling sheepishly.

Namine's smile widened. He had the cutest smile _ever._ "Okay. Be right back." She retreated to the back of the counter to prepare the drinks, all the while listening in to their conversation.

"What? No orange juice tonight?"

She blinked as she filled the glasses with ice water. Did she hear that correctly? Orange juice?

"Shut up, Sora."

"But you drink orange juice every night!"

He did?

"No I don't."

"Yeah you do."

"Sora, drop it. Roxas' too embarrassed to order orange juice. He thinks Namine will think he's weird for drinking orange juice at night."

She felt her face flush. Roxas didn't want to look like an idiot for ordering orange juice from her? Roxas cared about what she thought?

She heard the blond sigh exasperatedly. "Really, Riku? _Really?_"

"What? I'm right, aren't I?"

A smile crept onto her face. She grabbed another clean glass and made a detour to the fridge for the jug of orange juice.

"You don't have to announce it to the whole world."

"You like orange juice at any time of the day. There's nothing to be ashamed about."

Once all the drinks were ready, she placed them all on a tray and carried them to the guys' booth. "Here you go…" she trailed off, setting each drink before them.

"Thanks, Nam."

"Thank you!"

She saved the orange juice for last, setting it down before the blond. He stared at it for a moment then whipped his head up to shoot a bewildered look at her.

Oh, that blush on his face…

"My day's never complete unless I eat a granola bar," she admitted, scuffing the toe of her shoe against the tile floor and darting her eyes away lest she started blushing, too. "It's been that way since I was in middle school."

He blinked…and then his lips curled into a genuine smile. "Thanks," he said. "I'm Roxas."

"Nice to meet you, Roxas." She smiled back. "I'm Namine."

His eyes lit up when he smiled…like the shade of blue became deeper somehow. "Hi."

She really, really liked his smile. "Hi…"

"Hey."

Sora's interjection snapped her out of her thoughts. "Um, so are you ready to order?" she asked quickly, reaching into her apron for her notepad and pen.

"Y-Yeah." Just as quickly, Roxas turned to peer at the menu. "Uh…Riku, you go first."

The three eventually gave her their food orders amidst much teasing and banter—mini sliders for Riku, a chicken potpie for Sora, and a mushroom burger for Roxas. "Great," she said when she repeated the orders correctly. "I'll be right back."

She strode away with a lot more spring in her step. She was really glad she came tonight. She officially met him and learned something interesting about him. She decided she liked him.

"_Finally_."

"Both of you, _shut up_."

A giggle escaped her as she slid the order sheet through the window to the kitchen.

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**Author's Afterthought: **Please leave a review! Thanks for reading!


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